Wooden decks, after lengthy periods of exposure to the elements, have a tendency for the deck surface boards to warp to such an extent that end portions of the deck boards will actually separate themselves from underlying support beams and rise considerably above the normal top surface of the deck. This tendency is aggrevated by gradual rotting of the wood near the ends of the deck boards and in the top faces of the support beams which are in contact with the bottom of the deck boards and receive deck board anchor nails in the traditional construction method. The problem creates a very unsightly condition in wood decks and also creates a safety hazard in that walkers on the deck can easily trip over the upwardly curled ends of warped deck boards.
The standard method of repairing the above damage to wooden decks is to replace the affected deck boards with new ones and also to replace as many of the underlying beams or timbers as is necessary, depending upon the degree of rotting which has occurred. This installation of new wood in the deck under traditional repair procedures is required so that deck board anchor nails will remain in place. The standard repair procedure is very costly, and in cases where large numbers of deck boards are involved, can approach the total cost of building a new deck.
A careful study of the problem has revealed that, even in cases where large numbers of deck boards have separated or are about to separate from the deck support beams, most of the wood (more than 90%) in the deck structure is still sound and unrotted. The rotting tends to occur only in the regions where the abutting deck boards rest on the support beams or timbers, which is the area where deck board nails are installed.
The seeking of a means to repair deck damage of the above type without the great expense of installing new deck boards and support timbers has resulted in the development of the present invention, which has for its main objective to successfully deal with the problem with minimal expense.
Another objective of the invention is to provide a device for repairing damage to wooden decks of the above-identified type, which device is in the nature of an anchor bracket of simplified and unitary construction which can readily be installed at necessary locations on the deck by the homeowner with requiring skill.
A further object is to provide a deck board anchor bracket for use in newly-constructed decks, which actually simplifies the construction procedure and substantially eliminates the occurrence of deck board deterioration of the above-mentioned type caused by weathering over a period of time. The use of the anchor bracket in newly-constructed decks in conjunction with traditional deck board nailing, or in lieu thereof, greatly extends the useful life of the deck structure, without the necessity for periodic costly repairs.
Another object of the invention is to provide a deck board anchor bracket which, in one preferred embodiment thereof, also serves as a gage for the uniform parallel lateral spacing of deck boards as the latter are being installed.
Still another object is to provide a bracket of the above-mentioned type which is practical and economical to manufacture, involving a minimum amount of scrap in the manufacturing process.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art during the course of the following description.